28 days of Black Inventions

February 14th, 2017

Jenny Coupler

As we normally do this time of year, we’re going to celebrate Black History Month by acknowledging 28 of the most influential, world changing inventions by Black People. Our goal is to shed light on some inventions that most people probably didn’t know about, some of the lessor known inventions as well some of the more notable inventions. So, join us on our 28-day journey and you might learn a thing or two.

Jenny Coupler

I know you’re probably thinking the same thing i was thinking before i started researching this Invention. What is a Jenny Coupler? right. No worries i got you, a Jenny Coupler is the two connecting jaw like points of a train car. The Jenny Coupler simplified and streamlined the process of connecting two train cars. We all know that trains travel with many train cars attached to them to maximize traveling capacity. Prior to 1897 train cars had to be connected manually which was a very hazardous job. Many train workers would risk life and limb to attach the two train cars. A person would have to drop a huge metal pin in the connectors for the trains hoping that the cars wouldn’t squash them in the process.

Andrew Jackson Beard

On November 27th, 1897 Andrew Beard received a Patent for his Railroad Industry altering Invention. The much safer and simpler way of attaching train cars was born. The Jenny Coupler helped the Railroad Industry immensely. Especially at a time when Rail traffic was dominating the landscape as a faster way of traveling and shipping goods. Andrew Beard was no stranger to Inventing things, in fact he has several other Patents to his name. Including the Invention of the Plow, which he would on the sell and turn a handsome profit.

Andrew Beard was Born into Slavery in 1849, but by the time he turned 15 he was free. He went into the real estate business before coming up with his ingenious design “The Jenny Coupler”. This design was so era defining that again he was offered $50,000 for the rights to his Invention. Which is over a Million dollars when adjusted for inflation, that was a good deal. Andrew Beard said his inspiration for designing the Jenny Coupler was after seeing countless men losing limbs and fingers just trying to attach the trains.

Editor’s Note: You know when something is good when it’s still used to attach trains to this very day, sure it’s a more modified version but the basic design concept has changed very little. Andrew Beard we’d just like to say. #Thankyou